


Language Barrier

by Recarmdra



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Fluff, Language of Flowers, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 03:38:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recarmdra/pseuds/Recarmdra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unable to express himself through words, Tsukishima Kei decided to confess his feelings for Yamaguchi through the language that the freckled florist knew best: <i>Flowers</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Language Barrier

There was no doubt that he had fallen in love with florist Yamaguchi Tadashi.

Of course, the first moment he even considered the idea, Tsukishima slammed the idea down. There could be _no way_ that he could hold feelings for the freckled florist—

But as soon as he thought that, he also started thinking of his smile, of the way he says his name, of the freckles that dusted his cheeks. He’d think of conversations in the past that he was surprisingly fond of, and suddenly he would be wiping the small smile he unconsciously made. It wasn’t normal how often Yamaguchi crossed his mind. He tried to look at his flaws, listed them all down in his head, but all he could think about was how he didn’t care for any of them—and that he knew Yamaguchi wouldn’t care about his own faults either.  He makes him want to crawl out of the hole he’s been hiding in, though sometimes it felt that it was Yamaguchi who was crawling and hiding with him for the mean time.

Now the question was: how does he convey all of _that?_

Coming to realize and accept these feelings towards the florist in the end, it took many days and many nights of thinking, considering, and weighing possibilities: What would happen if he confessed to him? What would Yamaguchi say? _What would he say in the first place?_ The last time he checked, he was not the most romantic person in the world, better at pushing buttons than melting hearts.

It was a little annoying, honestly, because he never harbored such strong feelings for anyone else—it was frustrating how foreign it was in his heart, and how much he actually wanted to tell Yamaguchi this, but didn’t know _how_.

Then one day, an idea finally dawned on him.

Tsukishima Kei began studying a new language, deciding to tell Yamaguchi his feelings through the language that the freckled florist knew best:

 _Flowers_.

It wouldn’t require for him to speak in fancy words or even speak at all, the meaning was just _there_. Or at least that was what Tsukishima thought.

He picked out his flowers rather carefully. He had even bought a book, just to be safe; the last thing he needed was a misunderstanding. At some point, he even thought of it as stupid to be giving _flowers_ to a florist who had been literally surrounded by them for years—yet in the end, he knew it was just him talking himself out of confessing to Yamaguchi. It was now or, _most likely,_ never.

“So, um, well?”

“Well, what?”

Tsukishima held back the need to cluck his tongue. He thought this would be less embarrassing, that Yamaguchi would just _know_ what he meant when he presented the flowers, but it turned out that he was wrong.

“I’m trying to say something through the language of flowers.”

“Oh.”

Yamaguchi looked down at the basket of flowers the other was placed on the counter, his mouth parting slightly at the realization, with cheeks coloring a light shade of pink. Tsukishima swallowed dryly at the silence. This was it. He was reading the flowers _, his feelings for him_. It was rather nerve wracking, though he tried not to let it be seen in his face—yet he could not help but lose his composure by a bit when the other finally spoke.

“Kei… I…I don’t know the language of flowers?”

He did not expect this.

“But you’re a _florist_.”

Yamaguchi gave a slight apologetic look. “Well… Enlighten me then. What are you trying to tell me?”

The snarky part of him almost made him say “just Google it”, but Tsukishima simply narrowed his eyes at the brunet for a moment, and then resigned with a sigh and a slump of the shoulders. He may not be good at expressing his feelings, but he supposed this was a good start to practice— _more or less_.

“Listen carefully, because I won’t repeat it,” He warned, pale cheeks already turning a light shade of pink.

Yamaguchi gave a nod, giving back a look that said he was listening attentively.

Tsukishima exhaled for the last time, and rested an elbow on the counter. He pointed to each flower as he explained.

“The lilacs mean... _first love._ And the forget-me-not means _true love._ The Lily of the Valley symbolizes… _happiness of love_. It’s also poisonous if you eat it, I’ve read— Then lastly, the violets mean...” A pause. _“Please love me.”_ By the end of his explanation, the blond had a badly concealed pout, a blush across his cheeks, and eyes that refused to look at the other.

“That's...a lot of love.”

“…Because I'm in love with you, Tadashi.”

For the first time since he entered the shop, Tsukishima finally looked at the florist in the eye, gaze as straightforward as his words. There were still no word from Yamaguchi about a reply, but he took notice of the way the freckled male bit his lip, containing the large grin that was threatening to show, until a laugh eventually bubbled past his lips that he had to hide behind his hands. Tsukishima was not sure if that was a bad thing, if he was being made fun of by Yamaguchi— though he probably was. _He_ would make fun of him if he was in his shoes:  because here was a guy who had just attempted to confess through flowers, but never considered the fact the person he was confessing to didn’t _know_ how to read flowers, so he had to teach him.  

Before a sigh escaped his lips, Yamaguchi interrupted him.

“I never expected this, b-but I’m really happy,” He spoke, finally composing himself. He had a grin that could not be mistaken for anything else but happiness and love. Tsukishima finally found himself cracking a smile, relief flooding through him that Yamaguchi might have felt the same. Yet as if he hadn’t had enough, Yamaguchi did not fail to surprise him again—

“By the way, Lilly of the Valley symbolizes _promise of happiness_ , not happiness of love.”

Tsukishima deadpanned.

**“You knew all along.”**

“Of course, I would know, Kei.” Yamaguchi gave a nonchalant shrug, before pulling a shit-eating grin, “I _am_ a florist.”

And all too suddenly, his cheeks were subjected to a pinching, torturously pulled on by the taller blond. His words were almost incoherent as he spoke through pinched cheeks and laughter, but Tsukishima understood them well. 

_“I love you too, Kei.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I took the meanings from the Japanese language of flowers! It's really interesting. They call it "Hanakotoba".
> 
> I hope that you liked it!


End file.
